An agricultural floor panel and system having a design for improved strength and cleaning is described. The floor panel is designed for support on at least two cross beams. The floor panel has two opposing edges, each edge having a plurality of flanges for supporting engagement on the cross beams and the plurality of flanges defining a plurality of recesses between adjacent flange. The flanges and recesses are adapted for interlocking engagement with corresponding flanges and recesses of an adjacent panel and also include a locking and spacing system for locking adjacent panels together while substantively maintaining a gap between the opposing edges of two adjacent panels.
The use of plastic flooring for hog and poultry operations is well known as a method of keeping animal pens clean. Plastic grates or panels supported on a structure of steel or fibreglass beams above a manure pit enables animal manure to pass to the lower manure pit while supporting the animals and farmers above the manure pit.
Ideally, the grated flooring is designed to be easy to clean by pressure washing as is required in order to minimize the risk of disease which may be caused by a build-up of bacteria from the animal""s manure on the flooring or within any cracks or crevices on the floor. In addition, the grated flooring must also provide sufficient support to prevent the weight of the animals or the farm personnel from breaking the floor and falling into the pit below. Washing is usually conducted by a farmer using high pressure washers on the top side of the floor.
Within this field, various designs of flooring have been implemented to simplify the use of the panels. For example, past designs have utilized uniform shaped grating panels which facilitate installation on specific beam systems such as steel or fibreglass using a series of hooks and snaps. Such designs may include features which allow for the reversibility of individual grating panels, as well as allowing individual panels to snap together to ensure that the floor is stable and locked after installation. Other features including support ribs or cross ribs ensure that both large and small animals are supported on the flooring while still permitting their manure to be pass and/or be washed through the floor.
In the past, individual panels are snapped and locked to each other and the beam system with very little space between adjacent panels. This absence of space between panels tends to result in a build-up of manure within the small cracks between each panel which cannot be readily removed or dislodged by the normal washing process. In fact, the washing process has a tendency to tightly pack manure into these cracks with the result that around all four edges of the grate panel significant quantities of manure remain even after washing.
Further still, in past designs, the interlocking panels also completely cover the underlying support beam with the similar result that various surfaces of the beam cannot be properly washed from above.
As a result of these deficiencies in the design of past systems, there has been a need for a floor panel system which overcomes these problems and which specifically provides a strong floor panel that can be readily washed by providing sufficient gaps between adjacent panels.
Another problem of past systems is the connection of the panel to the cross beams. In the past, outwardly projecting flanges have supported the entire loading of the panel directly to the upper surface of the cross beam. As a result, past panels may be weakened at or around the flange/cross beam junction resulting in panel failure and possible injury to an animal or farmer. As a result, there has been a need for floor system having a cross beam design which is fully supported by the beam system to improve the overall strength (and hence durability) of the floor system wherein loading on the panel is at least partially transferred to other surfaces of the cross beam.
Further still, there has been a need for a floor panel system where the contact area of four abutting corners is minimized to enable proper cleaning while ensuring that adjacent panels maintain contact for proper alignment.
A review of the prior art has revealed that a floor panel system addressing the above problems has not been provided.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a floor panel for support on at least two cross beams, the floor panel comprising a grated panel having two opposing edges, each edge having a plurality of flanges for supporting engagement on the cross beams, the plurality of flanges defining a plurality of recesses between adjacent flanges wherein the flanges and recesses are adapted for interlocking engagement with corresponding flanges and recesses of an adjacent panel, the flanges and recesses further including a locking and spacing system for locking adjacent panels together while substantively maintaining a gap between the opposing edges of two adjacent panels.
In another embodiment, the floor panel further comprises two cross beam edges having at least one spacer for operative engagement with an adjacent cross beam edge to substantively maintain a gap between the cross beam edges of two adjacent panels.
In a further embodiment, the locking and spacing system includes a plurality of pins for locking engagement with corresponding apertures on an adjacent panel wherein the pins project outwardly from respective flanges and the apertures are within respective recesses.
In yet another embodiment, each opposing edge includes at least one corner flange for butting engagement against a corresponding corner flange of a diagonally adjacent panel and wherein each corner flange preferably abuts a flange on a laterally adjacent panel.
In another embodiment, the panel further comprises cross beams and the cross beams and cross beam edges include a cross beam contacting surface for butting and supporting engagement against the support beam.